


Butterfly Kisses

by merryfortune



Category: Yes!プリキュア５ | Yes! Precure 5
Genre: F/F, Fluff, Love Confessions, Not Canon Compliant
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-08
Updated: 2020-12-08
Packaged: 2021-03-09 21:34:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,157
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27953180
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/merryfortune/pseuds/merryfortune
Summary: Rin attempts to design more of her future but she needs Karen's help for a little bit of artistic inspiration.
Relationships: Minazuki Karen | Cure Aqua/Natsuki Rin | Cure Rouge
Kudos: 6





	Butterfly Kisses

Rin had been nervous to call Karen so late at night, but she leapt so quickly to answer the phone, seemingly thrilled that someone had rung, that enthusiasm heartened Rin only to dishearten herself within the seconds of Karen exuberantly greeting her. Rin scolded herself, calling herself an idiot for likely getting Karen’s hopes up. Karen was probably expecting her parents to be on the other end of the line but no. It was just her. Nonetheless, Karen spoke with her placidly and they arranged a means to Rin’s ends.

See, Rin had a little project in mind, but she wanted something very specific for it and thinking of Karen’s greenhouse, she thought she might find that very specific something there. Karen assured her that she would, and Rin was happy enough with that. After all, if worse came to worst, they lived in the information age and she could just go on the family computer or even to the library to find the resources that she needed. Its just. She wanted to see them in the flesh.

“Thank you for having me.” Rin awkwardly said when she arrived at the opulent golden gates of the Minazuki estate.

“Thank you for coming over, I’m glad to be of help.” Karen replied with the utter blitheness befitting of a rich girl.

Still, Rin could feel the weirdness of it. It was strange for them to be one on one at Karen’s place. Normally the rest of their crew were hanging around as well, but the stars aligned for some privacy, she guessed. Nozomi had to get ready for a publication party that her father was taking her on; Urara was on a job for some sort of iced tea commercial; Komachi was at the public library doing research for her next novel; and of course Coco and Nuts had Nuts House to look after with Milk. So, it was just Rin and Karen at Karen’s place. Even though it was maybe a bit strained and lonely without the rest of their friends around, Rin felt that she could work on her project better if it was just her and Karen. There would be more peace and quiet for knuckling down. So, she was looking forward to it as looked through the bars of the gate with her usual kind of daggy smile.

Slowly but surely, the gates began to open up via some unseen mechanisation and Rin slipped through before they could fully open. She flashed a smile at Karen who was already willing to lead the way from here to the greenhouse that she had on the estate grounds. No matter how many times Rin visited, the Minazuki gardens never failed to impress her. The immaculate, green, trimmed lawns; the various water features; the sprawling roads with nary a piece of white gravel out of place. Rich folk were truly rich folk.

It was about ten to fifteen-minute walk to get to the front gates, past front gardens, past the main body of the mansion, and past the back gardens to get to the greenhouse. That big, sprawling jungle of a greenhouse that never failed to transport Rin to another country. It was a lot different to the greenhouse at home which incubated out of season plants for customers who had no idea about the seasonality of plants.

Entering the greenhouse, Rin felt regardless of its enormity or how exotic it was. Inside, she felt as though she could breathe clearly and deeply. The oxygen that these plants produced was thick and sweet; Rin found it incredibly refreshing to step into the greenhouse and Karen followed along behind her.

“This will be perfect.” Rin said, looking around, her blood orange eyes were bright.

“That’s great to hear.” Karen replied. She bounced expectantly on the heel of her foot, hands behind her back, a little bit fidgety.

Rin beamed and she pulled one strap of her backpack off her shoulder so that she could ruffle through it. She got out an artbook and a pencil case that was orange. She then attempted to hike back her backpack onto her shoulders; Karen giggled demurely as she came over.

“Here, let me help.” Karen said.

“A’ight.” Rin murmured.

She blushed slightly as Karen adjusted the straps for her. She even went the extra mile of making sure the bag was zipped up properly, too. She patted down the squares of the backpack and smiled, satisfied, to herself.

“There we go.” she said, rather cheerful. “All done.”

“Thank you muchly.” Rin replied.

With her backpack back in place and with her supplies in tow, it was time for her to get to work, scrounging up her inspiration and she vowed to not let a single tile of this greenhouse go unturned as she was on the pursuit for every species of butterfly that Karen was fairly certain that they housed. But before she could get into the thick of her work, Rin glanced back at Karen.

“Are you, um, content to hover?” Rin asked, hugging herself a little tighter as she cradled her supplies.

“Oh, yes, definitely. I love observing artists – and writers – in their natural habitat. I consider myself quite the naturalist on the topic, if you will have me, that is.” Karen explained.

“Then I’d love to have you on board, fellow naturalist. Although, I suppose,” Rin touched her face in thought, “we’re etymologists – not just any old type of naturalist – this afternoon.”

Karen blinked as she followed the train of thought. “We are, too.” she said. “I promise to keep a look out.”

“Much obliged.” Rin replied.

Feeling confident in her craft and her companion, they started wandering the winding paths of the greenhouse’s insides. Now, officially, they were on the hunt for butterflies so that Rin could have the perfect and liveliest inspiration for the project that she had her mind on as of late. Now that she had an inkling of what she wanted to do in the future, she wanted to solidify it further, to make sure she was certain so her little pet project was to make various bits and pieces of jewellery for her friends and she already had a specific piece in mind for Karen before anyone else.

It was a shame it was a little embarrassing. Or maybe premature. But Rin wanted to make a ring for Karen. Not a matching ring or a promise ring, that was way too much but a ring was still the perfect piece that Rin could come up with for Karen. Even though rings could convey such heavy and intense emotions, it simply had to be a ring that Rin would give Karen.

As they walked around, trying to find butterflies to look at, Rin kept stealing glances at Karen’s hands and seeing them just affirmed the idea that her long, slender fingers would look truly splendid with a ring. Rin became all the more certain in her conviction. She would make a special ring for Karen with a butterfly motif.

First, she just had to find some butterflies to study up. Shouldn’t be that hard. Where there were plants, typically there were insects. And between the two of them, they had seen a nice array of insects inside the greenhouse – dragonflies, damselflies, fruit flies, all sorts – but no butterflies. But that wasn’t to say that Rin was uninspired by what she saw.

Snooping along the various leaves and petals of all the plants, Rin had managed to scratch down many ideas onto her page, just none like the one that she hungered for. It also wasn’t for lack of trying either. Karen was doing her best to help and being Karen, her best was haughty and to the bitterest end that Karen could find. Rin appreciated the efforts, above and beyond as they were, though.

Still, plopping down in front of the main water feature inside of the greenhouse, Rin had filled up plenty of her sketchpad. She was sitting, cross-legged, watching the water whilst she kept her head propped up by her knuckles, her elbows digging into her knees. Her sketch book splayed over the criss-cross of her legs. Trying to be polite and hospitable, Karen inched closer, trying to both avoid any glimpse of Rin’s prototype drawings and trying to do anything but that.

“Should I be going soon?” Rin asked and then she checked her watch. “I’ve been an hour and a half, you know.”

“If you feel the need to,” Karen replied diplomatically, “please don’t feel like you could ever overstay your welcome.”

“Ah, thank you, Karen.” Rin said with a smile, but she sounded a little flat.

Karen noticed and she grimaced, casting a glance downwards at Rin and sure enough. She looked pretty glum.

“I’m sorry that we didn’t see any-” Karen cut herself off as her eyes went wide.

Rin blinked and she tried to speak but Karen cut her off with sudden hand movements. Rin’s shoulders crackled as she was assailed by this sudden lack of Karen-ness from Karen.

“Stay. Still.” Karen breathed.

“Okaaaay.” Rin murmured under her breath.

Karen crouched down and she slowed down. Rin felt her temperature rising as Karen came in so close to her, reaching out to her. Her fingers brushed past Rin’s cheek, curling back a strand of her fluffy reddish hair and then holding still. Karen’s eyes were huge with blue wonder and Rin was entranced by them as Karen stared so intently at something just past her face.

“Can you feel it?” Karen whispered.

Rin blushed. All she could feel was how her heart thumped in her chest. “No.” she replied on the cusp of an exhale.

“There we go…” Karen murmured.

Her hand receded back, and Rin’s breath was taken away. She hadn’t even noticed but it appeared that a butterfly had landed on her head whilst she was sitting down and now, it had scuttled onto the elegant bow of Karen’s finger which made for an excellent perch for it. The butterfly glittered beyond Rin’s eyes.

Its wings shuttered at a calm pace. The scales embedded in them were blue and a magenta-like pink but so, so beautiful. Its antennae twitched and Rin could have sat there for hours whilst Karen held up this butterfly to her. It was perfect. She could already feel the cogs of creation start to turn.

Despite not wanting to spook the butterfly, Rin picked up her book and pen. She quickly started to scrawl down the basics of its anatomy and notes on its colouration. Rin was completely absorbed into the channelling of her inspiration; her determination and tenacity enchanted Karen. From the way she stuck out her tongue to the sweat dripping down her brow, Karen was in awe of the sheer energy that Rin was radiating.

“Okay. Done.” Rin said with a satisfied sigh.

Karen smiled and she had to admit, her index finger did ache with being held up. And it seemed that the butterfly was done, too. It shook out its wings before taking flight once more. When it entered the air, the beating of its wings were unsteady but it even out just fine, flitting up high, as the girls watched.

“Thank you so much, Karen.” Rin beamed.

“No worries.” Karen replied as she got up. Her thighs ached but not as badly as they could have as she did take various etiquette classes, after all.

Rin got up now as well, tucking her sketchbook under her arm, the gleam of all her big ideas still in her eyes.

“Thank you for coming around.” Karen added but she noticed Rin staring. “Is something the matter?”

“You remember our promise, right?” asked Rin.

“Yes, of course, I would never forget something as important as that.” Karen replied, she tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear.

“Good because, um, I’m pleased to announce I’m making good progress.” Rin said excitedly.

“I’m pleased to hear it.” Karen smiled.

“Not just career wise.” Rin piped up, adding on awkwardly.

“Oh?” Karen blinked owlishly.

“Yeah.” Rin said. “I want you to be apart of my future, too. Part of my dreams.”

Karen was taken aback – even flustered – by the admission from Rin but she smiled. She settled into it, all cosy like, and she leaned in.

“I’d like that very much.” Karen replied quietly.

She kissed a butterfly kiss unto Rin’s face. She was elegant as she did so. Her lips were soft to grace Rin’s gawky, angular cheeks but her eyelashes were even softer. Rin held her breath, blushing, and she gripped her sketchbook tighter. Drawings of prototype rings to promise to Karen hidden against her stomach. In the full gauntlet of admiring Karen, Rin winced, she had to force herself to close her eyes to Karen’s grace and beauty, as Karen, giggling and flirtatious, made sure to nuzzle Rin with all the edges of her eyelashes.


End file.
